PFF ranks Trey Hendrickson as No. 9 edge rusher in NFL

Pro Football Focus continues to rank the top 10 players at every position in the NFL, and another Cincinnati Bengals player has found himself on a list.

This time it’s Trey Hendrickson, who was ranked by PFF’s Trevor Sikkema as the ninth-best edge rusher in the NFL.

“Hendrickson has aged like fine wine,” Sikkma wrote. “His pass-rush grade has increased every season, culminating in an elite 90.2 pass-rush grade this past season while finishing top 12 in pressures (62).”

After the Bengals lost Carl Lawson in free agency to the New York Jets following the 2020 season, they signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $60 million contract. Hendrickson was coming off a career-high 13.5-sack season with the New Orleans Saints.

Since then, Hendrickson has racked up 29 sacks in Lou Anarumo’s defense, including 20 sacks in the 2021 regular and postseason, and has become one of the cornerstones of the team’s defense.

Hendrickson’s pass-rush grade, per PFF, has increased every season he’s played in the league, starting with a 62.0 mark in 2017 and ending with an amazing 87.7 in 2022.

PFF career overall defensive grades over Hendrickson’s career.

Now that the Bengals have added first-round pick Myles Murphy to the rotation of edge rushers which also includes Sam Hubbard and Joseph Ossai, Hendrickson should be kept fresh deeper into the season. You would think this could hurt Hendrickson, but it should actually help him, especially late in the games, late in the season, and in the playoffs when every snap counts.

Hendrickson is under contract for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and hopefully, the Bengals will be able to take advantage of his presence in the next two years by winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

Either way, the Bengals have seen unprecedented success in the postseason over the last two seasons, and Hendrickson has been a big reason why.